UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Diana Taurasi was 21 going on 40 when she stepped on the court for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team.

Now at 36, the veteran Phoenix Mercury guard and WNBA all-time leading scorer plays like she's 26 with a bounce in her step, a joy for life, and a passion that does not waver.

"I actually feel like I can do more this year than in the past," Taurasi said Thursday after the Mercury practiced ahead of Friday night's game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. "Physically, I feel great. That time off ... People take for granted that playing year-round takes a toll on you mentally. The game of basketball is only great when you can be creative and clear-minded and play with a fun soul. Sometimes it becomes work. Right now, that's not there. It's fun."

While she didn't have much fun in Dallas Tuesday night when she played just four minutes due to illness in a loss to the Wings, Taurasi is winning the battle against Father Time much like she's won so often at the college, professional, and international levels the past two decades in a career that will finish with her induction into the Naismith Memorial and Women's Basketball Hall of Fames in her first year of eligibility following her retirement.

Even with limited playing time in her last outing, the Chino, California, native is seventh in the WNBA in scoring (19.6) and sixth in assists. How many other players are in the top seven in both categories? None, though Dallas' Skylar Diggins-Smith is eighth in scoring and third in assists.

"I take it week by week, year by year," Taurasi said. "My measuring stick on whether I want to be on the court or not is whether I want to compete or not. When you lose that fire to compete and you're happy being on the bench, that's when I'll stop playing basketball.

"I'm plugging away. Now I'm playing for health insurance."

Part of the reason she's feeling healthy is she played only briefly overseas last offseason, returning from Russia to the United States in December.

"If I didn't play overseas I would have had a better WNBA career," Taurasi said. "Just taking four months off and coming in fresh into the best league in the world makes a world of difference. I understand why people don't go over there."

But it wasn't like she wasn't busy.

In May, Taurasi and her wife, former Phoenix teammate Penny Taylor, celebrated their first wedding anniversary and did so with their first child. Taylor gave birth to son, Leo, on March 1.

"He is such a good little boy. He's so happy all the time," Taurasi said. "It's been incredible. He throws up on himself, he drools on himself, he (craps) up to his neck, so much fun stuff. He's amazing. When they're this little, it's amazing to see how every day he learns something new. Every day he does something a little different. He's an amazing little boy."

For almost two decades, basketball fans in Connecticut have watched Taurasi grow up.

She was UConn's second three-time All-American and first two-time national Player of the Year, guiding the Huskies to three straight national championships. The final two in 2003 and 2004 were won without an All-American as a teammate. The Huskies have had at least two WBCA All-Americans on their other nine national championship teams.

But she was just getting started. After being the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, she's led Phoenix to three WNBA titles. She also owns four Olympic gold medals and three FIBA world championship gold medals playing for USA Basketball, along with numerous titles overseas.

Her fire has never dimmed.

"It's innate," Taurasi said. "You meet a lot of people that are passionate and you meet a lot of people and you're like, 'Why are you even out here?' Certain things ... You are the way you are. Maybe it's the people you're around, your family, the culture.

"You have people that have it all, but don't have 'It.' It's like, 'What more do you need? They've given you everything, every single tool to be an amazing athlete.' But they don't have the passion or drive. And if you don't have it, it is a waste of talent."

Entering Friday's action, Phoenix is 14-7 and in second place behind the Seattle Storm (15-6) in the Western Conference and overall standings. The top two teams overall receive byes to the best-of-five semifinals. Seeds three and four get first-round byes and host second-round single-elimination games. The fifth seed hosts No. 8 and the sixth seed entertains No. 7 in the single-elimination first round. The Mercury advanced to the semifinals as a No. 5 seed a year ago and as the No. 8 seed in 2016. They'd like to do a little less work come playoff time this summer.

"It's huge," Taurasi said of getting a bye. "If you're in one of those top two spots, it's cushy. I'm sure those top seeds complain about having too much time off. It's a Catch-22, depending on who you ask."

In late September, Taurasi is expected to take part in her fifth world championships when the FIBA World Cup is held in Spain.

USA Basketball has been a part of her life since she made her first team -- a U-18 squad coached by Geno Auriemma -- in 2000.

"There is the honor of playing USA Basketball, the pride of playing for your country, a responsibility to do it if you can still play at that level," Taurasi said. "I still feel a lot of those things.

If they're still willing to e-mail me, I will still reply. "I think I'm playing OK. If there's no age requirement, I should make the team." If there is indeed no age requirement, she should be joined in Team USA's backcourt by her former UConn teammate Sue Bird, who is 20 months older.

"Sue's the best point guard in the league. She's the best point guard in the world. Why shouldn't she make it," Taurasi said.

Ten of the 12 players from Team USA's gold-medal winning 2016 Olympic team are still in the national team pool. Who will replace Tamika Catchings and Lindsay Whalen remains to be seen. By the time the Tokyo Olympics come around in 2020, only ex-UConn standout Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner will be in their 20s from the 10 holdovers.

There will be some new blood, but how much?

"It has to come up some time," Taurasi said. "I'm sure they'll make some tough decisions, which always happens with USA Basketball. When you have a pool of so many great players, young, old, experienced, inexperienced, there comes a moment when they have to make hard decisions. They've always done a great job of making the right decisions and carry that process along."

After the World Cup, Taurasi said she'll take a family vacation in Barcelona and enjoy life at home with Taylor and baby Leo.

She also plans to attend a UConn football game in the fall, saying with a laugh, "There's a big game against Temple." She hasn't been to Rentschler Field since 2004.

But she still pays close attention to Auriemma and his Huskies. Even before Thursday she had already heard how incoming freshman guard Christyn Williams predicted that UConn would win the 2019 national championship.

"I think she's a bold and confident young lady," Taurasi said. "But why not? That's the reason you go to UConn -- to win championships. Whether she says it or not, that's the expectation."

Phoenix's appearance at the casino Friday night is its only one of the regular season. The Mercury have already clinched the season series with two wins on their home court.

But don't worry. The good news for basketball fans everywhere is that Taurasi has no plans to go anywhere for awhile.

"I love coming back here," Taurasi said. "I get to see a lot of familiar faces and friends I went to school with. I catch up with Coach Auriemma and his family. I always mark the calendar.

"I could retire right now and be happy for the rest of my life. But I still love playing basketball. Why would I retire?"

Not when she's having the time of her life.

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UConn men fall at SMU, 77-59

Huskies on season-worst four-game losing streak

Feb 21 | 11:56PM

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UConn falls to Mustangs00:01:28

Without Jalen Adams UConn never looked like it found its rhythm against SMU as they were dominant in the paint, ultimately falling 77-59

DALLAS (AP) - Jahmal McMurray drove for three straight layups in a 12-2 run late in the first half, and SMU went on to beat UConn 77-59 on Thursday night.

The game was tied at 24 before the Mustangs regained the lead with 3-pointers by Nat Dixon and Isiaha Mike before McMurray began slicing through the UConn defense to build SMU's lead to 36-26 with 2:24 remaining.

McMurray led the Mustangs (13-12, 5-8 American Athletic Conference) with a game-high 25 points, 15 in the second half. Ethan Chargois and Mike scored 14 each, and Feron Hunt had 11.

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Olivia Nelson-Ododa emerging as a difference maker for UConn

Nelson-Odoba's presence 'can be a huge key for us'

By Daniel Connolly | Feb 21 | 9:26AM

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UConn freshman Olivia Nelson-Odoba congratulates teammates during a timeout in a game against South Carolina at XL Center. (Matt Eisenberg)

HARTFORD -- UConn is not the biggest women's basketball team in the country. Far from it, actually. Its de facto center, Napheesa Collier, is 6-foot-1. Stretch 4 Megan Walker is the same height. The Huskies' tallest starter is Katie Lou Samuelson at 6-foot-3, but she doesn't have the strength to be a prototypical post player.

It's certainly a big weakness, and if UConn hopes to claim its 12th national title this season, the Huskies might need some luck of the draw. Head coach Geno Auriemma admitted as much.

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Katie Lou Samuelson drops 32 in UConn's 102-45 rout vs. Memphis

Collier had 22 points, while Dangerfield tallied 15 in the win

Feb 20 | 10:32PM

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UConn routs Memphis 102-4500:01:48

Katie Lou Samuelson went 7-8 in the first half and that's all the Huskies needed to easily roll past Memphis in their 102-45 win.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) There is not much UConn All-American Katie Lou Samuelson can't do, and that apparently that includes coaching the Huskies.

STORRS -- Plenty has been made over this year's UConn women's basketball team possibly not being weaker than some in the past. But one advantage this year's squad has over last season's? Health.

As the 2017-18 season wore on, more and more Huskies found themselves limited with injuries. Katie Lou Samuelson hurt her left ankle in the home opener, and played with the injury all year before having an operation in the offseason. Crystal Dangerfield dealt with shin splints for much of the second half of the season that frequently kept her out of practice. Migraine issues hampered Gabby Williams. Batouly Camara never seemed to recover from a preseason knee injury. Mikayla Coombs sat out the NCAA Tournament because of a pulmonary embolism.

It's a long list of injuries, one that looks even longer when compared to this season's bill of health.

If losing star guard JalenAdams for 4-6 weeks wasn't enough, head coach Dan Hurley has also been unable to deploy G AlteriqueGilbert, who missed his fifth game in a row in Thursday night's loss to No. 9-ranked Houston.

Gilbert has been out nearly three weeks now with a sore left shoulder that came after a collision during the Huskies' win over Wichita State on Jan. 26. And, of course, it had to be the same shoulder that Gilbert has had surgery on twice in his freshman and sophomore seasons at UConn.

So, naturally, that type of injury would cause a player -- along with coaches and staff -- to be extra careful about rushing back onto the court. And while Gilbert has been sitting stagnant on the pine, he had to watch Adams, who is a senior, go down when the team needed him most.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Houston guard DeJon Jarreau believes he's gotten his basketball career back on track and expects to be a factor as the Cougars make a run at a conference title and perhaps something bigger.

The sophomore transfer from Massachusetts had 18 points and seven assists to help No. 9 Houston beat UConn 71-63 on Thursday night for its ninth straight victory.

Armoni Brooks added 12 points for the Cougars (24-1, 11-1 American Athletic Conference). They opened the second half with a 17-4 run to take control.

Auriemma tells story of airport meeting with famed actor

Feb 12 | 10:57PM

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Geno inspired by Mickey Donovan?00:01:52

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma tells a story about how a quick conversation with Jon Voight at the Dulles airport had tremendous impact.

Worn out from all the chatter -- the "nonsense," as Geno Auriemma puts it -- surrounding his UConn women's basketball team, Auriemma says a random meeting with actor Jon Voight at Dulles airport gave Auriemma perspective.

Auriemma appreciated the brief, cordial exchange he had with the man who portrays Mickey Donovan on Showtime's "Ray Donovan," a chat that has Auriemma more upbeat with his 22-2 team entering the final stage of the regular season.

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Why freshman Christyn Williams is critical to UConn's success

After hitting 'freshman wall,' Williams figures to be key contributor down stretch

By Daniel Connolly | Feb 12 | 1:49PM

HARTFORD -- Christyn Williams looked like she was going to be different than most freshman. Not only did she step into a starting role with UConn women's basketball from day one, Williams thrived early in her career, scoring in double-figures in 10 of her first 14 games, including a breakout 28-point performance against Notre Dame. Williams seemed like she was going to be above the typical struggles that plague many of the Huskies' freshmen.

Then Williams ran head-first into the dreaded "freshman wall".

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Napheesa Collier scores 31 in UConn's 97-79 win over South Carolina

Huskies have won four straight since loss to Louisville

Feb 12 | 12:27AM

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(David Butler II )

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Napheesa Collier and UConn used a strong second half to turn their final nonconference game into a rout.

Collier had 31 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, and the fourth-ranked Huskies beat 11th-ranked South Carolina 97-79 on Monday night.

Katie Lou Samuelson added 29 points for the Huskies (22-2), who blew open a close game with a huge third quarter in which they outscored the Gamecocks 29-12. Samuelson scored 14 points in the game-changing period. Collier added eight as the two seniors continued to carry UConn.

UConn's late rally falls short

Feb 10 | 5:10PM

Kyvon Davenport scored 26 points, Tyler Harris and Jeremiah Martin added 12 each and Memphis held off a late push to defeat UConn 78-71 on Sunday.

Tyler Polley led the Huskies (13-11, 4-7 American Athletic Conference) with 20 points, while Sidney Wilson finished with 16. Christian Vital and Tarin Smith added 13 apiece for UConn, which lost its second straight and third in the last four.

The Huskies were playing their first game since leading-scorer Jalen Adams (17 points per game) suffered a left knee injury that will keep him out of action for 4-6 weeks.

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Napheesa Collier drops 30 in UConn's 109-74 victory over Temple

Dangerfield tallied 22, while Samuelson had 19

Feb 9 | 4:31PM

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Collier leads UConn blowout00:01:27

Napheesa Collier poured home 30 points as UConn eclipsed the 100-point mark for the second game in a row, beating Temple 109-74

Collier, who had 30 points in a win over the Owls last month, recorded her 12th double-double of the season and 36th of her career. She hit 12 of her 16 shots, dished out six assists and blocked three shots.

Crystal Dangerfield added 22 points and nine assists for UConn (21-2, 10-0 American), which tuned up for Monday's meeting with No. 12 South Carolina by shooting 63 percent and breaking the 100-point barrier for a second straight game. >> Read more

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UConn star Jalen Adams out 4-6 weeks with knee injury

Adams sprained MCL vs. Temple

By Daniel Connolly | Feb 8 | 11:41AM

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Connecticut Huskies guard Jalen Adams reacts after a break in the action against the UCF Knights in the second half at XL Center. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

UConn men's basketball star guard Jalen Adams will be out 4-6 weeks with a Grade-2+ MCL sprain, the school announced on Friday.

If Adams can recover in four weeks, that would mean he could return for the final week of the regular season. Should it take six weeks, he wouldn't be back until after the American Athletic Conference tournament.

Adams injured the knee in Tuesday's loss to Temple when an opposing player dove into his left leg chasing a loose ball. Adams needed to be helped off the court.

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UConn women dominate with complete team effort vs. ECU

All five starters finish in double figures

By Daniel Connolly | Feb 7 | 11:54AM

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Despite falling to its lowest ranking the AP Poll since 2007 this week, the No. 5 UConn women's basketball team insisted ahead of its game vs. the East Carolina Pirates that it didn't look or care about its ranking. But Wednesday night at XL Center, the Huskies played like they had something to prove.

UConn reached triple digits for the first time this season, smoking ECU 118-55, thanks to a total effort from its squad and Katie Lou Samuelson's game-high 31 points.

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Katie Lou Samuelson nets season-high 31 in 118-55 rout over ECU

Napheesa Collier had 21 points, Megan Walker drained 14

Feb 6 | 9:40PM

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UConn cruises vs. ECU, 118-5500:01:08

The Huskies were never in trouble Wednesday night against ECU. With the victory, UConn secured its 26th consecutive 20-win season.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) All-American Katie Lou Samuelson broke out of her shooting slump, scoring a season-high 31 points to lead No. 5 UConn over East Carolina 118-55 on Wednesday night.

Napheesa Collier hit all 10 of her shots and added 21 points for the Huskies (20-2, 9-0 American Athletic Conference), who reached 20 wins for the 26th straight season.

UConn men's basketball fell to Temple 81-63 on Wednesday night, but the Huskies may have gotten an even bigger loss when senior guard Jalen Adams left the game with a knee injury, later diagnosed to be a sprained MCL. He will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury.

The knock happened when Temple's J.P. Moorman dove into Adams' left leg going after a loose ball. Adams needed to be helped off the floor and did not return.

With only a month left in the regular season, Adams will likely miss much of the remaining schedule since even mild MCL sprains take weeks to heal. From there, UConn will need to hope he can return before the start of the AAC Tournament on March 14.

This was a night the Huskies men's basketball team may wish to forget.

Not only did UConn fall on the road to the Temple Owls 81-63, but they may have lost star guard Jalen Adams for some time after he suffered an apparent leg injury in the first half.

Going after a loose ball, Adams leg got caught under an Owls player, and he was in serious pain on the hardwood. He needed help off the floor, as he limped his way to the locker room. He finished the night with two points.

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Josh Carlton's double-double leads UConn to 76-52 win over ECU

Carlton scores 20 points, brings down 16 boards

Feb 3 | 5:01PM

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UConn beats East Carolina, 76-5200:01:27

Josh Carlton's career day of 20 points and 16 rebounds led the UConn Huskies to a 76-52 win over East Carolina on Sunday at the XL Center.

Josh Carlton had his best night in a Connecticut uniform, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to lead the Huskies to a 76-52 win over East Carolina Sunday.

Collier's 20 points help her reach 2,000 in her career

Feb 2 | 2:23PM

Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield led a struggling UConn offense to a 65-55 win over Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (AP) Napheesa Collier scored 20 points to reach 2,000 in her career, and No. 2 UConn struggled as it moved past its loss at Louisville, holding on to beat Cincinnati 65-55 on Saturday.

Collier became the fifth Husky to have 2,000 career points along with 1,000 rebounds, reaching the mark with a layup late in the third quarter . She got her 1,000th rebound during a loss on Thursday at No. 3 Louisville.

The Huskies (19-2, 8-0 American Athletic) called a timeout after Nikira Goings' 3-pointer cut their lead to 59-51 with 4:54 to go. Collier had a steal and a three-point play to keep Cincinnati at arm's length.

The heach coach and star forward share a lunch in Connecticut

Feb 1 | 10:00PM

UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma sits and shares stories with his former star player Jamelle Elliott from their 1995 title.

UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma and his former star player Jamelle Elliott share a lunch together to reminisce about their 1995 title.

Elliott played for Auriemma from 1992-96 as the Huskies forward. The head coach and star athlete discuss rigorous workouts, national championships and more.

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No. 3 Louisville upsets No. 2 UConn, 78-69

Louisville held UConn to 38 percent shooting on Thursday

Feb 1 | 12:50AM

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UConn women lose second game00:00:37

Highlights of UConn women losing their second game of the season to Louisville on the road.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Asia Durr's first basket was just a matter of time and the right look. When it came from long range, two more soon followed to spark No. 3 Louisville past No. 2 UConn.

Most important for the Cardinals, they didn't let up on the Huskies. That sparked a long-sought victory against the dominant team in women's college basketball, and a long, loud celebration between Louisville players and their fans.

Durr scored 14 of her 24 points in the second quarter, Dana Evans added 20 points and Louisville held UConn to 38 percent shooting in a 78-69 victory Thursday night.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) B.J. Taylor led the way with 21 points Thursday night, but it was UCF's relentless effort that won the day, including a clutch 3-point bucket from Aubrey Dawkins with 1:37 left that resulted in a 73-67 victory over UConn.

UCF (16-4, 6-2 American Athletic Conference) had a stranglehold on the opponents' basket for most of the game until UConn began heating up. The Huskies nailed 6 of 12 from 3-point range and shot 53 percent from the field in the second half.

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UConn's Alterique Gilbert out vs. UCF with shoulder injury

Huskies should be prepared with Vital, Adams, and Smith to handle the absence

UConn men's basketball PG Alterique Gilbert will miss tonight's game against UCF due to left shoulder soreness, the school announced.

The injury occured last game versus Wichita State when Gilbert ran into a screen. He went down on the floor and stayed down before going to the bench and the locker room with team trainer James Doran. Gilbert did return to the bench later with an ice pack on his shoulder.

Without Gilbert, Tarin Smith is expected to slide into the starting lineup. After Gilbert left the game against Wichita State, Christian Vital brought the ball up most often, though Jalen Adams, Smith and Vital will likely split those duties against UCF. Since Gilbert hasn't practiced all week, the Huskies should be prepared to handle the absence.

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No. 3 UConn wins seventh straight with 93-57 rout over UCF

Collier scores 23, Walker records double-double

Jan 27 | 6:25PM

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Collier, Walker lead UConn rout00:01:27

Four UConn starters scored in double figures in a 93-57 rout of Central Florida at the XL Center

Napheesa Collier led a balanced attack with 23 points, and No. 3 UConn routed UCF 93-57 on Sunday to move into sole possession of first place in the American Athletic Conference.

Tyler Polley added 12 points and Josh Carlton 11 and four blocks for the Huskies (12-8, 3-4 American), who have won two straight games for the first time since mid-December.

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Geno Auriemma taking short-term focus with this year's UConn team

There are times it seems the Huskies have more questions than answers

By Daniel Connolly | Jan 24 | 8:33AM

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Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma speaks during a press conference before a regional semifinal game against Duke in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Friday, March 23, 2018, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (Frank Franklin II/AP)

STORRS - Geno Auriemma isn't all that concerned about March right now. Not that it's not important. When you've won as often as UConn women's basketball has, the overall success of a season is determined by what happens in March, but Auriemma has bigger things to worry about right now.

"There's too many things we have to work on short-term to think about where we're going to be long-term," he said.

This is different from the past five seasons where the UConn team that showed up for the preseason was pretty much the same once March came around. There weren't a whole lot of questions that still needed to be answered at this point in the season...

Josh Carlton and Christian Vital each added 18 points for the Huskies (11-8, 2-4), who snapped a two-game losing skid. Vital reached 1,000 points for his career with a 3-point shot in the first half.

Caleb Daniels had 21 points for Tulane (4-13, 0-5) which has lost seven straight and eight of nine. Samir Sehic and Blake Paul each added 13 points for the Green Wave.

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Napheesa Collier, Crystal Dangerfield power UConn past Temple, 88-67

Collie finishes with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in rout

Jan 19 | 2:12PM

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UConn beats Temple, 88-6700:01:41

Napheesa Collier led UConn to a 88-67 win over Temple on Saturday, as the Huskies improved to 16-1 on the season.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Napheesa Collier had a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds and Crystal Dangerfield set a career high with 26 points to lead No. 2 UConn to an 88-67 victory over Temple on Saturday.

The game originally was scheduled for Sunday but pushed up a day due to the forecasted winter storm for the Northeast.

The Huskies (16-1, 5-0 American) have won five in a row since their lone loss, 68-57 at Baylor on Jan. 3. UConn remained undefeated in league play since joining the American Athletic Conference, improving to 106-0.

STORRS, Conn. -- Sid Wilson is a game-time decision for UConn men's basketball's game against Tulane on Saturday, head coach Dan Hurley said after practice on Friday. The redshirt freshman forward has missed the last two days of practice with ankle and thumb injuries.

Wilson has seen action in 12 games this season, all off the bench, averaging 14.8 minutes per game. After missing the first six games of the year due to a suspension, Wilson has struggled to find a rhythm on offense, averaging just 3.1 points per game while only hitting 2-12 three-pointers. However, he has been strong defensively, blocking 13 shots and grabbing 2.8 rebounds per game. If Wilson can't go, Isaiah Whaley will likely see an increase in minutes, according to Hurley.

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UConn announces self-imposed penalties on men's basketball program

The university responds to notice of allegations from the NCAA related to Kevin Ollie investigation

By Deesha Thosar | Jan 18 | 7:42PM

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Connecticut Huskies head coach Kevin Ollie reacts during a game against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. (Jeffrey Becker - USA Today )

The University of Connecticut announced self-imposing penalties Friday for violations of NCAA rules under former men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie.

The sanctions include the loss of one scholarship for the 2019-20 season, from 13 permissible grants-in-aid to 12. The school said it also will enforce a one-week ban on unofficial visits, while reducing by one the number of official visits. UConn will enforce a one-week ban on recruiting communications and cut the number of recruiting days this year from 130 to 126. The school will also pay a $5,000 fine.

Nothing about playing at the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes' home arena, the Reynolds Center, stands out. Tulsa is never particularly good, with just one NCAA Tournament appearance -- in which they were one of the last four teams in -- since joining the American.

The crowd isn't usually that big when UConn men's basketball comes in, the largest being 6,092 (8,355 is the capacity) back in the 2014-15 season -- their first season in the conference. The past two years, there have been fewer than 4,000 in attendance.

But for some reason, UConn can't seem to buy a win in that arena, as Wednesday night's loss dropped the Huskies to 0-5 in the Reynolds' Center. But on top of the losses, strange things happen to UConn when they play in Tulsa...

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UConn can't appease Dan Hurley's ejection in 89-83 loss to Tulsa

Both coaches were ejected in the second half after exchanging words

Jan 16 | 11:54PM

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UConn men lose to Tulsa 89-8300:00:40

UConn men's basketball loses their second straight game and drops one in Tulsa to the Golden Hurricane 89-83.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) The coaches weren't around to see all of it, but reserve Jeriah Horne scored a career high 27 points and Tulsa defeated UConn 89-83 Wednesday night, snapping a two-game conference losing streak.

Both Tulsa coach Frank Haith and UConn coach Dan Hurley were ejected with 11:40 to play in the second half and Tulsa leading 61-47. Haith protested a foul call against his forward DaQuan Jeffries and Hurley began yelling at Haith. The two exchanged words and officials assessed both two technicals before play resumed.

Both coaches said they felt the officiating crew overreacted to what Haith called "a competitive discussion." Hurley said he wanted to let Haith know that his team hadn't been getting the call on similar fouls to the one whistled on Jeffries. He said that it escalated to the ejections was "embarrassing for me, for the university and the conference and shouldn't have happened. >> Read More

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Megan Walker's 34 points leads UConn rout over Tulane, 75-33

Samuelson had 17, while Collier finished with 14

Jan 16 | 11:12PM

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Geno Auriemma on win over Tulane00:01:49

UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma liked how team played defensively but pinpoints how they didn't shoot well against Tulane.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Megan Walker has been playing well this past month.

On Wednesday night, she single-handedly outscored Tulane by a point in No. 2 UConn's 75-33 rout. Walker scored a career-best 34 points in the easy victory.

"I think since we got back from Christmas, Megan has had a different approach to the game," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Her effort is different. Her intensity level is different. Just her whole mannerisms are different. It's obviously showed up in the way she's played in games. These are the kind of games where you just need one person to step up because everyone else is struggling to make any kind of shot. Today, it was her." Read More

UConn's Dan Hurley on what he likes about incoming recruits

Hurley watched Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight play in the Bronx

Nov 16, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley is embraced by guard Christian Vital (1) and guard Jalen Adams (4) after being ejected from a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

NEW YORK -- Hours after a tough two-point loss at Cincinnati on Saturday night, UConn head coach Dan Hurley and assistant Kimani Young arrived at a high school event in The Bronx to survey the future of the program.

Jalen Gaffney and James Bouknight, two Class of 2019 guards who have signed with UConn, both played -- and played well -- at the Empire Invitational at Mount Saint Michael Academy.

Gaffney, a 6-foot-2 point guard, took home game MVP honors after going for 26 points and 4 assists as the Westtown (PA) School beat Brewster Academy (N.H.), 79-72, in a heavyweight battle of Northeast powerhouses.

UConn can't hold off Cincinnati, losing in OT 74-72 on the road

Four of the starting five Huskies finished with double-digit points

Jan 12 | 10:33PM

Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies rallied to tie the Cincinnati Bearcats to force OT, but fell in the extra session on Saturday for a 74-72 loss.

CINCINNATI (AP) The Bearcats rallied to get an overtime win for the second time in three days, a feat so rare that they hadn't done it in 52 years. And none of them was happy about it.

Jarron Cumberland scored 22 points, and Justin Jenifer hit a pivotal 3-pointer in overtime Saturday night as Cincinnati blew an 11-point lead in regulation before rallying to a 74-72 victory , the Bearcats' sixth in a row over UConn.

The Bearcats also went overtime for a 70-65 win at Tulsa on Thursday night. Cincinnati (14-3, 3-1 American Athletic) hadn't won back-to-back overtime games since the 1966-67 season. >> Read More

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UConn routs Cincinnati, 82-38, in Storrs Wednesday night

Samuel had 23 points, while Dangerfield scored 19 in the win

Jan 9 | 10:33PM

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Samuelson reacts to UConn win00:01:09

Katie Lou Samuelson led all scorers with 23 points in UConn's easy win over Cincinnati. She breaks down her squad's strong performance.

STORRS, Conn. (AP) UConn still has a few active winning streaks.

Katie Lou Samuelson scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Wednesday night as the No. 3 Huskies routed Cincinnati 82-38 to remain unbeaten in league play since the formation of the American Athletic Conference.

Freshman Christyn Williams scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half and Crystal Dangerfield added 11 points and 10 assists. Napheesa Collier scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Huskies (13-1, 2-0 American), who spent a month on the road before being able to notch their 83rd straight home win. >> Read More

The No. 1-ranked Huskies couldn't get the job done on the road

Jan 4 | 12:46AM

The No. 1 UConn women's basketball team was upset by No. 8 Baylor on the road and had their 126-game regular-season win streak finally end.

WACO, Texas (AP) Geno Auriemma knew that top-ranked UConn couldn't keep winning every regular-season game it played, even though the Huskies had won 126 in a row.

That winning streak of more than four years ended with a 68-57 loss Thursday night at No. 8 Baylor, which won against a No. 1 team for the first time.

"What is disappointing for me, not that we lost. How long did you think you were going to win every game in the regular season, 10 years?," Auriemma said. "So I'm not surprised that we lost, but it was disappointing that we struggled so much on the offensive end."

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) UConn coach Dan Hurley saw the Huskies go from a big lead to another second-half meltdown.

Laquincy Rideau had 25 points, David Collins overcame foul trouble to add 17 key second-half points, and South Florida battled back from a double-digit deficit to beat UConn 76-68 Wednesday night in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

The Huskies (9-5) were looking to rebound after an 81-58 loss to defending national champion Villanova on Dec. 22. UConn led in that game 36-35 with 17 minutes left.